Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-07-15

placed the muzzle OF the wa or ala
head and fired. A soldier on te 70
fighting the skirmish line n h tne I'd
was in Calhoun's company. D sa
saw all was lost and that thar t, saea
the least chance for life, tnrns way
comrade fighting at his elho ea %
said: 'A'o~,
Well, George, the jig's IN.
all my worldly wealth, and icy
mean that these red devils sh.n @
one cent of it," 'las'
With these words he drew fro,,
pocket q roll of crisp new t tua
bills (probably the last cont rtas
from the paymaster before he l lot4
field service), and with his sabe ,e ~
the money into shreds and threw ~ !;
the face of his enemies. '" y
From all that can be gatber,,
quest ..oning Curley, the Crow ~,
and the only living survivor Of S u
who marched with Custer, and also ~
the narrative of Gall, who has :;
visited the spot and told the stos
the day on the ground where ba y
it, it appears that there were bo.a
5000 and 1000 indians in tba v;n
at the time Custer descended nnan
and that the attack was not so nv nv, u
a surprise to the red men as has l y
orally been supposed. Gall SAVE SAY ! !
he saw the soldiers early i'll the ny
ing crossing the divide, and noted ~
fully that the white men divided ~
selves into three divisions. When e
ter's command swept off to tina u
they lost sight of the force tempor3
ly, keeping their eyes on Ren5 \
came directly down to the RI
seeking ford to cross over and sc1
Reno did cross over, paused a mill
to rest and tighten girths, remou5
all his men. and rode up alopa:3
some ash timber mile and a ii
when he suddenly came in sight oi /
village. When the soldiers saw
these Indians the bugles sound
Charge" the soldiers came rus|a
like the wind upon their women i
children and killed many of them, /
the braves rallied in great force. tnn1
on the troopers, and chased them b1
to the river, into which everybd
tumbled and scrambled up to the /
of a steep hill opposite. When NJ
had Reno on the hill, the bucks
great numbers tried to drive them
but, not succeeding, tie women, }
men and some bucks were left to eua
them while the others recrossed d
stream and hurried down to the 9TH
end Of the village, where the cry n
been raised that more soldiers wd
coming. OF course this was Custd
outfit, and we have no tale of that t,
rible affair except what the Indians d
us.
From all that can be gathered, /
seems that Custer must have col
down as far as the river with his trod
ers, although Gall says he never 4
within half mile of the stream;
the footprints OF the cavalry horses
in a broad and well-detined trail CT !
down to the river, notwithstandi|
Calls statement to the contrary. q
went with me, placed his foot on G.
tain spot, fully one-half mile ird
the river, and said fatty and positive
that the white soldiers got no near
the river than that point, and we|
then first met by his braves aad foucl
back step 10y step to the ridge whel
all finally persisted. When asked h1
these footprints came on the bank, Il
chief explained that they We're mad
by white soldiers on horseback vi
had attempted to escape from the fel
by going down q ravlne and It'd
crossing the river. These were nj
by some bucks on the other side, VII
turned them up stream again, anI
after racing parallel to the village \
nearly three-quarters of q mile, wei
finally crowded into the water, al
they recrossed the river once moi
They came out just where all the ca
airy tracks appeared, and, after ru
nlng half q mile farther, were tins /
caught and knocked on the head vi
stone clubs. The chief, who was ii
doubtedly the leader of the red fore
on that day, further says that only 70
ty-three Indians were killed in all,
though a great many afterward "te
over and died" This phrase, I thin
refers to the wounded who died
their injuries. This seems very snl1
percentage Of casualties among the II
men, when it is considered that !!
white bodies were found on the hel
although more than $40 men yielda
up their lives on Clusters fed, n
counting the killed and wounded
Eeno's and Benteen's commands.
tory has been corrected somevh
since that dark and bloody page VI
recorded. and not the least ilnpora
IS that the Indians outnumbered 1ul
five to one all the white men int
country, including the different c'1
mands of Custer, Benteen. Reno
well as Gen. Terry's and Gen. u
bon's commands, then at the fork
the two Horn Rivers, on the way Up
effect q junction with the Seventh
airy. Had they only known it tiles,
ages could have swept everything
tore them, as they were in super
force, armed with magazine rifles a
lighting for their lives, although ~
rule our North American aborleA
have wholesome dread of artillery
which Gen. Terry had one or two pee
along.
Another correction should be n43
IN the case Of Gen. Custer himself
dld not wear long, golden hair, as \
been generally supposed, but h'u
clipped short before he left h s peis'
take the field. He was also scaa'iHs